This week in Senior School I have enjoyed hearing the girls rehearsing their songs and scripts for the forthcoming House Performing Arts Competition in March. It is gratifying to watch girls across all year levels working together with focus and supporting their student leaders in the lead up to this event.

It has been wonderful to have some opportunities to connect with parents in the last few weeks – at Information Evenings, Junior School Learning Conferences and special events. The feedback that I receive from parents is very valuable in continuing to ensure that we provide the very best educational service to our girls and families. I do encourage you to feel free to make an appointment to see me any time through the year if you feel there are things that would be helpful for me to know. Please do not feel that you would be wasting my time! It is important to me that I know how things are going for you and your daughters.

2015 has started with a strong sense of purpose and a positive spirit palpable across all areas of the School. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces coming through the gates this week in anticipation of seeing friends, starting classes and beginning the adventure that will be 2015.

The Class of 2014 has achieved excellent results in their VCE studies:

I’m sure that anyone who attended the Lowther Hall annual Carols Service last night at St Paul’s Cathedral will agree that we are truly blessed to have a school capable of producing such beautiful singing and creating such a special occasion. The girls, as always, made me incredibly proud as they lifted their voices together in song with great enthusiasm. An enormous thank you to everyone who contributed to the service, particularly our Director of Choral and Voice, Ms Joanne Carroll, whose repertoire choices and training of the choirs are second to none!

It has been another busy week and I have particularly appreciated everybody’s support as I have navigated my way between Lowther Hall and the jury room at the Supreme Court.

There are a few occasions each year where I stand back and reflect on how very fortunate we are to belong to such a wonderful community. I am reminded that I truly have the best workplace in the world and indeed the best job in the world.

One of the things I love most about moving towards the end of the year is the increased opportunities for coming together as a community for various celebrations.

It was lovely to return to school after a long weekend with girls and staff refreshed and eager to return to the busy schedule of the week! Girls in Years 10 and 11 are now well into their examinations and the very excited Year 3 girls left for camp before school this morning! I am looking forward to visiting them later today. I would like to thank those parents who undertook the survey about reports which was sent out a couple of weeks ago. As you know, it is important to us to listen to feedback about our processes and procedures and to strive to improve everything we do. Approximately 150 families responded to the survey, with slightly more than half of those having Senior School daughters only and the remainder having daughters in Junior School or in both Senior and Junior Schools.

This week, we bid our final farewell to the class of 2014. We have recognised them at formal assemblies and watched them toss their hats off the Mansion balcony and at their Valedictory service yesterday afternoon they were given a lit candle as they left the Cultural Centre which they symbolically carried out into the world, ready to shine!